Bourbon Street Stories
by YumeMori
Summary: They met when Nick was only twelve. Yet even after he was tossed into the world of Daimons and Dark Hunters, Kagome still remained a mystery. Especially when it was revealed she was odd even for squires. Nick/Kagome pairing.
1. Introduction: 1990, New Orleans

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor the _Dark Hunter_ series. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while the _Dark Hunter_ series belongs to Sherrilyn Kenyon. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.  
**Written For:** Black Firelight**  
**

* * *

_Bourbon Street Stories__**  
**__Introduction: 1990, New Orleans__**  
**_

* * *

Nick Gautier had never given anything thought beyond "ridiculous" to the supernatural. He would admit to knowing some Voodoo priestesses, especially since one was his mom's best friend, and some hokey psychics around the French Quarter, but it was not as if he actually believed in it. Though he would admit that Menyara had something different about her, and how she knew things. It was weird and worse than how his mother knew things. He hated both, though, and would be caught dead before admitting to it out loud.

And when thinking about the "mystical", Miss Liza was not the first person to come mind.

She was normal enough, for an old lady who owned a doll store. He found all the dolls a little creepy, but he enjoyed the money she gave him for sweeping the floor and other odd jobs enough to not give too much lip. So he was surprised when he saw a young woman older than him, yet too young to be her daughter or any other close relation. It did not help matters much that she was very obviously Asian; if he was not mistaken, and he did not think he was given his love of manga, she was Japanese. A petite Japanese woman who loved short skirts and loose tops. And dolls, apparently. It was the only reason he could come across for why anyone could look that at ease in a doll shop.

Nick did not think he had a thing for Japanese women, but had he been about ten years older, he gladly would have for her. Because those _legs. God_, those legs. And she was not even standing!

"Ah, Nick. How nice of you to show up," Liza said. He figured she saw his shocked look if the way she was smiling was anything to go by.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved her words off. "Who's the chick?"

Liza sighed while the other woman laughed. "Still lacking some manners, I see."

"Oh, he's fine, grandmother." She smiled. "I've been around people with fouler mouths and less class."

Nick paused in the motions of grabbing the broom. _Grandmother_. Had he heard correctly? He looked between them, trying to find their similarities. All he could really come up with was the shapes of their mouths, the thing for dolls, and the blue eyes. He shuddered as his thoughts betrayed him and reminded him that that meant Liza had to have sex at some time in her life. It was a thought he wished he could remove from his brain forever. "Grandmother? How the heck does that work out?"

"I don't think it's any of your business. But the floors need some attention."

The young woman smiled at him, her blue eyes catching his own. For a second it felt as if she was delving into his soul, and that she was far older than she seemed. He did not like the feeling of it at all. Yet he could not look away, not until she did first. "It's fine. I think it's good that he's curious. It does build character, you know."

She stood and walked over to him, grabbing the broom. "Her son is my father. He went to Japan after the war, and met my mother. And the rest is, well, history." She held out the broom to him, and he took it. Their fingertips brushed, and he would swear she did it on purpose because he could feel the spark of something jump from hers to his. Something that was _not_ just some static electricity.

He jerked back, _stumbled_ really, and could not keep from staring at her.

"We'll be seeing a lot of each other. I'm going to be working here, too." She smiled brightly at him and clasped her hands in front of her. It was such a typical pose for a Japanese woman in manga that he could not help drawing the similarities. "I'm Kagome Higurashi, by the way."

It took a while for her words to register in his head, but not because he was not listening. But because of how odd she was. She was interesting, in the strict definition of the word. "Nick. Nick Gautier."

Liza cleared her throat and gave him her best look that told him to get to work or else. "Your job, Nicky."

"The dust ain't going nowhere." Yet he did tighten his grip on the broom handle and walked off to do his job. His mom and he did need the money, after all.

Even though he focused on his work, he could not help but overhear bits of their conversation. One part stood out to him more than the rest.

"You shouldn't look at him like that. Anyone who didn't know better would take it as you being interested, and I know you don't like young boys like that."

"I'll bet you money that he'll be handsome when he's older than twelve. And you're right: I am far too old for him."

Now, Nick did not have too much experience in these situations, and as it was he was trying not to blush from the compliment about how he might look in the future, but he knew something was off with Kagome's words. Women usually said, "He's far too young for me," not what she said. The meaning behind her words was going to haunt him for a long time, he just knew it.

* * *

_Ah, so this is coming out quite a few days later than I intended. But it just worked out that way. Yes, Nick Gautier is 12 at this point. And Kagome... Technically, she's only supposed to be around 9--I wonder what could have happened, lol. Of course I know, but you all will have to wait._

_And I hope you have enjoyed this first chapter, Black Firelight, as this fic is for you.  
_


	2. Gray Doll Eyes

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor the _Dark Hunter_ series. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while the _Dark Hunter_ series belongs to Sherrilyn Kenyon. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.  
**Written For:** Black Firelight**  
**

* * *

_Bourbon Street Stories__**  
**__Gray Doll Eyes__**  
**_

* * *

For the past few months, whenever he came in she was already there. Miss Liza had him doing some odd jobs and moving of inventory, which he hated because it usually meant he had to be up at some ungodly hour of the morning, which he figured was just for Kagome. He had thought that Liza just bought the dolls from somewhere and sold them for a profit, but it seemed like Kagome made her own dolls. And he was pretty certain that she made everything about all the toys she made.

It did not make much sense to Nick as he could not imagine someone being that into their job. Especially when it involved _dolls_. Now, he had nothing against most dolls and some of the little faceless ones Kagome made. But the second they looked life-like and had painted glass eyes that _stared_, he started to get freaked out. Those types of dolls were like clowns--they started out with some good intentions of being something cute for kids, but somewhere in their evolution something went horrible wrong. He did not know what that point was for clowns, but he knew it was the eyes with dolls. They _followed_ people with their eyes, and he was more than certain a couple of them had moved without any help.

He was willing to admit that maybe he was being a bit paranoid, but he also felt completely justified about it. Dolls were creepy, and that was a fact.

Yet there was a huge difference between the dolls Liza normally had in and the ones Kagome was making. Nick figured it might have to do with the fact that Kagome made her from hand which gave it a more "human" touch. But whatever it was, Kagome's dolls were ten times as creepy.

As naked little porcelain dolls with no hair and no faces, they had been fine. Still creepy as hell, but fine. Then he had watched as she dressed them in very human looking Asian clothes, almost as if they were miniature versions of actual clothes. Without the faces and hair, they were still fine even though they looked rather creepy like something out of some horror novel. Then she had put in the hair--a process that took a few days given how she poked each and every strand into the head.

The worst part was today. She was painting on their faces with a tiny brush and a mixture of paints. By the time he had arrived, she had finished painting on the faces for two of her ten dolls. Given how long they took to make, he figured there was only going to be one version. Even with that, she could sell them for a huge sum of money. He was rather jealous of that as he had no talent to make money off of save for hustling tourists.

He looked around and saw that Liza was no where around, so he could slack off for a few moments. He walked over and looked over the two dolls she had finished and decided he did not mind them too much. The first one was possibly the tallest one of them and had long, soft silver hair. His pants almost looked like white Hammer pants, which he found highly amusing. Though the top was one he was used to seeing in some manga he had read, and he knew with all the little designs on it that it had to have taken her a while. Then there was the awesome spiked armor he was wearing on top. It was his face that caught his attention. Not only did he had golden eyes, but looked to be wearing some red-purple color type of eyeshadow and stripes on his cheeks, and a blue crescent moon on his forehead.

Aside from that, the doll looked pretty badass.

"You put make-up on a guy doll." It was not a question and he was unsure if it was a statement either. More like a ludicrous thought.

She paused in her application of the doll face in her hands in order to look up and see what he was talking about. He waved the doll in her face. "Make-up. See? He's obviously a guy and men so do not wear make-up here."

"I'm sure the demon lord would be thrilled that you called his markings 'make-up'." Her tone was dry, though she was smiling. He could appreciate her sarcasm.

"Just like I'm sure he'd be happy to know he had been made into a doll and had his face molded after a woman's. I don't know what kind of demons you guys breed back there in Japan, but they certain don't have 'cute button noses' or waxed eyebrows." He looked down at the doll and shook his head. Aside from the face, the doll looked like some avenging warrior who killed anyone who gave him lip.

She laughed and went back to painting her other doll. "I can't argue there, he is supposed to have quite the feminine face. According to legend of course." There was a certain quirk of her lips that he caught that added some other side to that sentence. He could not put his finger on what it was though. "He was a great warrior, nicknamed the Aristocratic Assassin for his feminine looks and grace on and off the battlefield." At his silence, she looked up and gave him a sly smile. "Read into that what you will."

Though he was twelve, he was a twelve-year-old _boy_. The innuendo was not lost on him.

She nodded toward the other finished doll on the table. It also had long silver hair and golden eyes. The outfit was much more simpler, just red Hammer pants and a red jacket-thing. He only had one sword, which made him less cooler than the other one. Yet it did have one curious feature... "Dog ears? What, did his mom get seduced by a dog?"

"Actually... Yes."

"If that's an actual Japanese legend then you guys officially have some weird ones. Last I checked, bestiality was a crime."

She shrugged and leaned back to look over her work. "So is incest, but that doesn't mean anything for pretty much every mythology out there. They're just stories after all." Her face and smile fell, and he got the distinct impression she wished it was not true. Which was odd: he liked manga, but it did not mean he got upset when he realized nothing extraordinary would happen like that in his life. As it was, the high point of most of his days was talking to Kagome, and that was only because she was from Japan.

He set down both dolls where they had laid before before leaning on the counter closer to her. "And let me guess, that one's a demon consort."

Kagome laughed. "You should study mythology when you get older, Nicky. You're really good at this." She picked up the doll and stared at it with a certain longing for a moment. He only guessed that because the long flowing pleated pants were red like the dog-eared doll's clothes, and the loose top was as white as the other doll's clothes. It was not that hard to put two-and-two together. Though the straight long black hair, bow and quiver of arrows threw him off for a second.

"But with this doll, you're only half-correct. In the second half of her legend, she falls in love with the dog-eared doll. In the first half, she is what we call a miko. Its closest equivalent in English is something along the lines of 'priestess', or 'shaman'."

"So, like a Voodoo priestess then? Going around messing with spirits and the like?"

"Yes, something like that. Except she kills demons."

Nick leaned forward more. "You know, she looks like you from the back. Except her hair's straight, not like yours. Now I'm not saying it's a bad thing, because I love manga. But I don't go around making characters look like me."

She smiled and brushed the doll's hair back. "I'm not. This is what she actually looks like." With a wry smile, she turned the doll to face him. "Besides, we only look similar from the back."

And she was right. The doll's face was more angular, almost serious and severe. This was the kind of doll she made that he hated because it looked far too human. Just from looking at it, he felt as if he knew that the person behind the legend and doll had lived a hard life. He could relate to that--his own life was not the best, but he was not one to complain. Though, more than that, it was the eyes that separated the two women and personified everything he hated about dolls.

They were gray and sad, and they looked straight through him. As if he was beneath the stupid doll and as if it would come to life any second and kill him. He was going to have nightmares about that doll, he was more than sure.

She must have noticed him shiver as she turned it away from him and put it off to the side. "She's not a happy person in her story. Anyway, I think your break has lasted long enough. Grandmother will be mad if she walks in and sees you not doing anything."

"Not like it's different from any other day," he said.


	3. Caught Hustling

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor the _Dark Hunter_ series. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while the _Dark Hunter_ series belongs to Sherrilyn Kenyon. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.  
**Written For:** Black Firelight**  
**

* * *

_Bourbon Street Stories__**  
**__Caught Hustling__**  
**_

* * *

It had been about a year since Nick had met Kagome, and the newness of their relationship had worn off a bit. If by "a bit" one really meant "entirely", then that was what he meant when he said "a bit". Granted, it was partly because they rarely saw each other outside of Liza's store, and there were some subjects they did not bring up and discuss. And that was on top of the whole age difference thing: she had to have about eight years on him, at the very least. And she had a small like for zydeco, having admitted to hearing only a few songs of it; she confessed to having never been too into anime or manga or video games as they were more of her little brother's interests; she was too caught up in her work (she would never explain why she often worked the entire night through); and she was rather eccentric. For a thirteen-year-old boy, anyway. And those were about the only things Nick cared about.

He had run into her a few times after school, and a couple of nights at the bar his mom worked at. And she would always say some of the strangest and most cryptic things which always had him running in the opposite direction. Kagome Higurashi was odd and too old for his maturity level. Maybe if he was _older_...

No, scratch that.

He knew if he was older, he would see her in a very different light. Especially if she continued to wear those short skirts.

As it was, however, he was still thirteen and she had to be somewhere in her twenties. He had asked about her age once only to receive an amused smile and a, "Whatever you think my age is, I can almost guarantee that I'm quite a bit older." She had kept that look through, "Thirty, then? Forty? Oh, I get it-you're secretly three-hundred, aren't you? Hah, I knew it! Explains why you're single, too." And that had been the end of _that_ conversation.

He still wondered, though...

"Hey, Nicky! Stop daydreaming and grab his cash."

He sighed and came back to reality. He knew he should not have even been daydreaming in the first place given the danger involved, but he could not help it when thoughts of Kagome invaded his mind. There was something very odd about her, espeically the way she would look at him sometimes: as if she was considering how his life would go or if she should kill him.

Neither he liked.

Just as he did not like hanging with his "friends" and hustling tourists for a few bucks. On the other hand, they had money they were not using and he _needed_ the money. He and his mother needed this extra money, never mind that she would kill him if she ever found out how he had acquired it.

It was why he did these acts because his need was too great. And it was why he walked forward and stole the wallet off the poor sap that his buddies had already beaten.

Twenty minutes later, he walked home alone save for the extra forty bucks in his pockets and a merry tune on his lips.

"Hey, Nicky." An arm slung itself around his shoulders as a hand covered his mouth. "I know it's dark and all, but there's no need to scream."

That voice... He knew it.

He looked up at the only slightly taller woman to confirm it. Kagome. He knew of only one woman with black hair and slanted eyes. She smiled as his panic fled and let go of him.

"The heck you doing sneaking up on me?" he asked, his teeth grit. "You don't just sneak up on people around these streets!"

"Oh?" she countered with a very obvious look at him. It made his ears burn as he had a feeling she knew exactly what he had been doing just moments earlier that night. "What have you been doing, then?" Her look turned into a condescending one, as if she was telling him to take his own advice.

He gulped and felt as if he was right in the middle of a Saturday morning cartoon show where the characters always gulped loudly before getting into heaps of trouble. And he could not figure it out: she was a five foot nothing Asian woman who only had the art of forced serene smiling down well enough to make him sweat in fear. That was not even taking her strange vibe into consideration.

Though he fast got himself together. "I don't know what you mean. I'm going home."

With her scary almost slasher smile in place, she grabbed his arm and held out her other hand. "Give it."

He grumbled and stuck his hands in his pockets, only to bite back a wince when her fingers gripped his arm tighter. And then there was some strange feeling not unlike when they had first met and touched, except colder. Her smile did not change, however. "Nicky," she said with a tone he recognized-his mother used it, and it was just as deceptively sweet, "hand over the money in your pocket. You don't want me to take it from you."

Her grip tightened when he considered seeing if she would relent if he continued to silently refuse. It was only when her smile began to waver and crack that he brought out the money. She snatched it out of his hand and promptly smacked the back of his head.

"The hel-heck was that for?"

"Stealing," she said. "If you needed money so badly, you should've just said something. I would've have grandmother give you a raise."

He shrugged and brushed past her. For her age, maturity and insight she seemed to have about him, he did not think she would get or understand why he said nothing. It was a matter of pride, and he did not want pity or charity. Especially not from her. He could not entirely explain why that was... Though that was a lie: he could, he just did not like what it said about him. He was not one of those guys who developed what had been dubbed "the babysitter crush."

To her credit, though, she only sighed and muttered a few things in Japanese, but she let him walk away. "I'll see you at work tomorrow night. Try to stay out of trouble, Nicky. You're too bright to throw away your future like this."


	4. Forced to Test

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor the _Dark Hunter_ series. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while the _Dark Hunter_ series belongs to Sherrilyn Kenyon. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.  
**Written For:** Black Firelight**  
**

* * *

_Bourbon Street Stories__**  
**__Forced to Test__**  
**_

* * *

Nick had been dreading heading into Liza's store all throughout the day, and all through class. The smile Kagome had worn the night before, and the surprising amount of strength in her hands, and the way she had said that she would see him at work... God, he was not an easy boy to scare because he had grown up on Bourbon Street, but he was certain she could make a criminal sweat.

And not in any pleasurable way.

So he slipped in the back door of the store, hoping that Kagome was working the front as she normally did most afternoons, and made sure not to make any noise than necessary. He acted and moved as calmly as he could. He was silent. He was sneaking about... He was totally a _ninja_.

God, he needed to take a break from reading manga if this was the way his mind thought now.

"Nicky, I can hear you," Kagome said.

Son of a-

"Should've used the front door," Kagome continued. Liza was no where in sight, thankfully.

"What? You got eyes in the back of your head now?" he asked. He was so _certain_ he had not made any loud noises that could have caught her attention. He knew how absorbed she could get into her dolls and other things she made, especially when she was making them, like now.

"No, but I do have ears," she said. "Now come over here and sit. I've been waiting for you."

_Damn_. She had been _waiting_ for _him_. In mom-speak, which he was fluent in despite knowing Kagome was nothing like a mother figure to him, that meant he was in some deep shit.

He trudged over to her and sat down in the chair across from her. She did not bother to look up from her sewing or make an effort to talk to him, yet he did notice her stab the stuffed _thing_ she was making with more force than necessary. He could not help imagining that he was that colorful thing and that she was doing to it what she wanted to do to him.

Or it could just be that pesky thing called a "conscience" acting up again.

Either way, he did not like it. So he looked everywhere but straight ahead. Yet there was only so much that could hold his attention in a shop that he cleaned and looked at too much for him not to be considered a cat burglar. And then he noticed the paper in front of him.

At first glance, he thought it to be Kagome's, yet a closer second look proved that incorrect. He knew Kagome was too old to be trying to enroll in high school, and he knew that school. Elite, good shoe-in for a good college, expensive, rich white-bred school. He both hoped it fell off the map and wanted to go there.

"They have a scholarship, you know. Full-ride," she said. He looked up to find her staring at him. Her look did not hold pity or anything of the sort. "All you have to do is pass a test. I know you can; you're too bright and full of potential to toss your future away."

"What? And, lemme guess, you want me to apply for it? Bullsh-wh... That's crap! Even if I get in, I'd be the charity case. And there's no way in hell that's happening!" And if Nick has his way, it would not be. He knew he was poor white trash, and that there was no way he would ever fit in there. They would watch his every move, waiting for a reason to expel him.

Kagome sighed one of her infernal sighs and leaned back in her chair. "One day you'll have to stop worrying about what other people think about you and grow up. So you won't be rich like everyone else there-who cares? Are you going to prove their thoughts about you and your future correct or prove them wrong?"

"But you just told me to grow up and stop caring about what they think," he pointed out with a grin. He knew what she was trying to get across, but he just did not want to give in.

"Nicky, Nicky, Nicky. What am I going to do with you?" She groaned and rubbed her eyes. "I don't want you tossing aside your chance for a better life. Do you want to be like me, working for relatives you barely know because you tossed aside a chance to go further in life?"

The image of him being much older and bent over this table making creepy life-like dolls into the wee hours of the morning just like Kagome did entered his mind. He shuddered. He knew he had an overactive imagination that would work for that kind of job, but they were _dolls_. It would turn his mind into the little mindscape of horrors or _Alice in Wonderland_ on shrooms. Which then made him wonder about Kagome's state of mind.

"Ouch!" He whined and cradled his hand where she had pricked it with her needle.

"Do it. Your mom agrees that you should, too."

"You went behind my back and got my mom involved!"

"Yes."

He could not believe she would be so calm and matter-of-fact about doing something so underhanded, so devious... So cruel to a thirteen-year-old.

OK, he knew that was a crap line, but the point still stood.

He snatched up the papers and fixed her with his best glare. It did not faze her at all. Instead she smiled. "I knew you'd see it my way."

* * *

_Edited 28 June 2010. Thanks, JustOneMoreWapaneseFanGirl_!


	5. Seeing Red Sarubobo

_Bourbon Street Stories_

_**Seeing Red Sarubobo**__**  
**_

* * *

One week later, on his day off no less, Nick ran to Miss Liza's doll shop with a letter clutched tightly in his hands. Man, Kagome wasn't going to believe this shi - uh, crap - that happened!

Well, OK, maybe she would since she did push him into doing it.

But _still_, it's not like she actually _knew_ he was going to take the test, give it his all, and actually get in. She may be weird in some ways, but he was pretty sure she wasn't psychic. And by "pretty sure" he meant "maybe sort of not really". She was weird, OK?

"Hey, Kagome~!" He panted as he burst into the store, hands upon his knees. He straightened and did his best to wipe off the sweat on his face. Looking presentable was something his mom was working on his with, and he always wanted to look that way to Kagome. Even though he didn't like her or anything. Nope. "Hey, Kagome!" he said again. "Guess what?"

But there was no reply. Not even from Miss Liza.

"Kagome?"

Now this was truly weird. He was certain the door wasn't locked, just as he knew there was always someone around in the store. In fact, he was certain Kagome lived there with the hours she ended up keeping. What if someone killed her? Or worse, kidnapped her for some freaky ritual involving demons and puppies? Because that's totally what happens to any petite Asian girl living in America. It's like required or something.

...Man, he needed to stop reading horror and get some normal-ish hobbies. Like...sports. Tch, yeah right.

"Hey, this ain't funny no more," he said.

Again, no reply.

He placed down his acceptance letter in favor of grabbing the broom that was always kept by the counter. Thus armed, he headed into the back prepared for whatever may be awaiting him. Be it crazy kidnappers, a sleeping Kagome, or her dolls come to life. However, he was greeted with none of these things. Not Kagome, not anyone, not even Miss Liza.

"Huh." That...wasn't what he had been expecting. "Now I just feel stupid." He set aside the broom and crossed his arms. He really needed to stop talking to himself for all the above reasons.

Since he was there and this _was _a weird circumstance, Nick figured he might as well look around. There had to be a reason the store was empty and unlocked, after all. But after five minutes, he had found nothing out of the ordinary. Just...dolls. Like normal.

With a sigh, he sat down in the chair Kagome normally sat in while working and spun around once or twice on it. Hey, she wasn't around to see so it was like it never happened. It was on his third spin-around that it finally clicked that something was off about her desk. He slammed his hands down on her work-table to stop himself and knocked over a small toy.

It was almost human-shaped. But no, that wasn't right. It looked more like a monkey. A red monkey. But he couldn't really say that either. No, it was just red fabric sewed together to look vaguely human with no facial features. It was the only kind of doll or creation on her work-table. Not even her cool dog-demon dolls were there, like they were missing. All ten of her dolls were, now that he looked.

He didn't know what to think about that.

Or the note that the monkey-human thing had been standing on. It was so cliche that he couldn't help rolling his eyes at it, even as he dreaded to read it.

_"Hey, Nicky!_

_I told you you could do it! I knew you'd get it. Now keep up with it and actually_ go_ to school. And I already know you're going to ask how I could possibly already know. Well, I called them to ask how it went. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else, especially your mother. I'll leave that to you! _(And, of course, she just had to put in an Asian smiley winking at him. As if she couldn't fit the stereotype any more.)

_I'm only sorry I can't be around to make sure you do. So I'll just have to trust that you will. I've been called back home to handle some old business. And I won't make promises that I probably won't be able to keep by giving you a date when I'll return. But I promise that I will, so you better promise that you'll have pursued your education!_

_I've left you a sarubobo. I'm sure you probably already know that means 'baby monkey'. It's something of a good luck amulet. Did you know that the English word 'leave' translates as 'saru'? So it also means that bad things will 'saru', or leave. Keep it with you, and I hope it'll keep you safe. So you better stay out of trouble so it can work!_

_See you soon,_

_Higurashi Kagome_

Yeah right. He looked at the little red...thing...again. That was supposed to keep away bad luck? He called bullshit. Just as he did on her promise. People didn't keep promises anymore, only threats if they were like his dad.

He crumpled up her letter, then stuffed it in his pocket intending to throw it away when he left the store. He almost did the same with his acceptance letter, but thought better of it if only because he knew it would make his mom smile to hear the news.

* * *

_I am so sorry for the lateness of this update. I can't apologize enough. Since my last updates on any story, I've dealt with many deaths and illnesses in my family, navigating the depths of LJRP, and trying to balance my social life/free time with the demands of my job. Unfortunately, my job wins out most days and the only times I have to write are either very late at night or on one of my days off. I'm sorry you've all had to suffer from my inability to balance things in my life. Hopefully I'll be back to somewhat normal updates now, and I won't leave you all waiting another year or two._


End file.
